🧭 The Zone Breakdown: What Should Go Where?
A good layout balances energy and calmness. When there are too many meeting rooms, a space can feel clunky and closed off. Without enough soft space, it risks feeling cold and sterile.
But the real goal? Flow. Keep people moving intuitively and comfortably from zone to zone.
Taking inspiration from
Coworking Resources by Kisi, alongside other findings, here’s a layout mix that balances
community, productivity, and flexibility.
Open Work Areas (around 40–50%)
These are the heart of your coworking space: hot desks, shared tables, and flexible seating where members spend most of their time.
Keep them open, comfortable, and easy to rearrange as needs change. Research shows open, flexible layouts encourage collaboration and adaptability (
SAGE Open).
It also helps to have a nearby amenity that people use often, like a sink, a water filter, or a quick-access counter, so members can step away briefly without leaving the flow of the space. Small touches like that make the layout feel intuitive and lived-in ✨.
Meeting Rooms & Private Offices (about 10–15% each)
These enclosed spaces support focus, privacy, and collaboration. Whether it’s a quiet 4-person pod, a private office, or a larger boardroom, make them soundproof, tech-ready, and well-lit for hybrid work.
Position them along main walkways so they’re easy to find, but use glass or partial partitions to keep them visually connected to the rest of the space. This maintains privacy without losing openness.
Community & Social Spaces (around 25–30%)
Kitchens, lounges, and event corners are where your community bonds
and coworking culture comes alive. The University of Technology Sydney found that
“facilitating spontaneous encounters” is
key to coworking community growth (
UTS Coworking Design Study).
Keep these areas visible from main paths; a glimpse of the kitchen or a cozy seating corner naturally invites people to gather.
Even small additions like a communal coffee counter or comfy chairs near natural light can spark connection.
Quiet Zones & Phone Booths (around 5%)
A few small pods or secluded nooks make a huge difference. These spaces allow members to take calls, focus deeply, or unwind between meetings, and they support
neurodiverse inclusivity.
Place them just beyond active areas, close enough to reach quickly, but calm enough to feel like a quiet retreat.
How well a space works depends on who uses it, how it’s managed, and how zones interact, not just how much floor area each takes up. These aren’t fixed rules, just helpful benchmarks that naturally shift with your building and members.
